Quick post today to share some a recent gouache discovery.

Something I’ve really been enjoying lately is the sort of ethereal look I can achieve by using the wet into wet technique with my gouache. Since gouache reactivates with water, I keep my wet into wet layers on the bottom (1st layer usually) and depending on my surface, it can actually feel very much like using oil paint.

For this piece, I was painting on primed board, and the more I do this the more I notice the benefits of getting down a thin layer of gouache before I start adding detail. I use that opportunity to work with diluted gouache.

The details pop out much more against the loose and flowy background.

From a distance, the whole things comes together to create an interesting sense of atmosphere. I plan on pushing this further and doing some seascapes with big skies. I think that will present a fun opportunity to push the wet into wet effect.